An arrangement for this purpose is known in which in the nipple seat of the graphite electrode there are screwed-on journals, which represent a semi-nipple with a central hole bored in it. The journal is slipped over a metal rod, in both ends of which there are welded strips with seats for set bolts. In the one end of the metal rod there is shaped a seat for a center.
The drawbacks of this arrangement are: it is an expensive device of heavy weight, which requires frequent replacement and maintenance of the worn-out elements; the attachment of the equipment to the electrodes requires heavy physical labor. Moreover, it cannot provide a precise coaxial alignment between the journal and the electrode; this results in an excentricity which impairs the quality of the coating. The current passing through the journal encounters many transition resistances which produce varying drops of the voltage.